Winger assures Warren Gatland the summer trip to Oz will see no repeat of the off-field antics that made news during the World Cup in New Zealand

All change: Ashton claims England's players have learned their lesson from 2011

Chris Ashton has assured Lions boss Warren Gatland there is no chance of England players behaving badly on tour again.

Gatland has caused a stir with his suggestion that taking too many Red Rose players to Australia this summer could put extra pressure on the squad.

Although he insists the meaning of his words was misinterpreted, Gatland met with England head coach Stuart Lancaster to set the record straight.

And Lancaster said: “I came away reassured that England players will be picked on merit – and rightly so.

“I would be 100 per cent confident of that because when I watch them interact, not just within their own group, but with members of the public and rugby supporters, hotel staff or whoever it is, I never see something that I think is ­inappropriate behaviour.

“We’re here to play rugby, to be on the back pages, not the front pages.”

Ashton was one of the players adjudged to have let England down off the field during their ill-fated 2011 World Cup campaign in New Zealand.

But he also made it clear to Gatland, and a Lions management which includes England coaches Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree, that they need not fear any repeat of 2011.

Ashton said: “It’s completely different here now. The people, who were around then, have learned their lessons from that and the others, who weren’t there, know the consequences if you get involved or caught out in the way we did.

“At the time, it was a mistake and we didn’t intend it to happen.

“We didn’t do it on purpose.

“But sometimes it takes mistakes like that for you to learn, and, luckily, the guys who have come into the squad have seen those mistakes we made.

“So, I don’t think there’ll ever be a repeat.”

Ashton, who has spent the week with the squad training at the FA’s St George’s Park complex, insists those lucky enough to earn Lions ­selection will be on their best behaviour.

He said: “We’d take exactly what we’ve been doing here with England and it wouldn’t change.

“You are still ­representing this team and the country. I won’t be getting caught out again like I was last time.”

Gatland returned home thankful for his “great welcome”. He said: “The fact my visit coincided with all the furore over comments I made about wanting to protect the English players in the Lions party from external forces made it all the more apt.

“In many ways, the media reaction, or ­overreaction, to what I ­actually said and meant merely served to highlight the negativity I am seeking to guard against.

“We are leaving no stone unturned in our planning for the tour to Australia and protecting the players, sometimes from themselves, from the Australian and their own media, is a part of that process.